2021 saw the birth of Stockholm HM-2 worshipping Swedeath act Grand Cadaver, composed of veterans of notable groups like Katatonia, Tiamat and Dark Tranquillity. Their Into the Maw of Death debut was a loving tribute to the early days of Entombed and Dismember and had more buzzing than a landfill in an Arizona summer. It brought nothing new to the well-trod d-beat death community beyond star power, but it was competent and aggressive enough to make for an entertaining spin, and the presence of Dark Tranquillity’s Mikael Stanne on vocals was reason enough to check it out. Now this group of super troopers are back with second release, Deities of Deathlike Sleep and the formula remains the same – taking the sounds of Stockholm’s Sunlight Studios circa 1990 and beating you into a deathlike sleep with it. With a crew of well-traveled, seasoned vets, you know you’re going to get something solid, but can they breathe new life into this very dead horse after 30-plus years of d-beating?
Yes, they can! While Deities of Deathlike Sleep drags you over very familiar territory, the band impart enough hooks, tricks, and treats to make the ride seem fairly new and exciting. Opener “The Forever Doom” comes out the gate hard and fast with frantic riffs buzzing and fuzzing savagely. Mikael sounds incensed and though things sometimes sound like spirited Dark Tranquillity all roughed up and caked in mud and shit, it brings the Stockholm sound down on you without mercy. The chorus is dark, moody, and very DT-esque and it sticks the landing. The eerie doom segments are cold and icy and the fast sections are brutal. “A Crawling Feast of Decay” goes for your throat with raw aggression, full of d-beatery and venom. “The Wishful Dead” is like Fiction era Dark Tranquillity mixed with Wolverine Blues days Entombed with extra heavy mid-tempo grooves giving way to bursts of thrashy aggression. As such it hits several Swedish sweet spots that aren’t normally accessible with just one album.
Later album cut “Vortex of Blood” is like a lost Black Royal tune and its mammoth riffs and grooves will have you hailing yourself before you know what’s happening. It’s bigger than Jesus and hits harder too. Penultimate nugget “Stabbed With Frozen Blood” may sound like a Cannibal Corpse B-side, but its attack formation is pure, unadulterated Swedeath with a bit of grind mixed in for extra impact and penetration. While nothing here feels like filler, “Funeral Reversal” trends toward generic Swedeath. At a slim, sexy 34-plus minutes, there isn’t much other fat on the Cadaver, and the energy and heaviness levels are kept high. The real selling point is the blend of Gothenburg idioms into the much heavier Stockholm stew. This gives the material an extra dimension of mood and emotion it would otherwise lack. The production is spot on, bringing a nasty presence to the guitars while allowing space for Mikael to impress with his nastier-than-usual spewing.
Speaking of Mikael, he does a great job here. You can tell it’s him and he does drop into his tried-and-true delivery at times, but most of his performance is monstrous and enraged. He’s long been one of my favorite death metal vocalists, so hearing him dial things up several notches is a treat. Stefan Lagergren (ex-Tiamat) and Alex Stjernfeldt (The Moth Gatherer) return to ply their Swedeath wares and do a fine job delivering big, abrasive riffs and phat death grooves. The blend of classic d-beating and moodier textures and harmonies works well to differentiate the material from the endless waves of Swedeath that preceded it, and the duo has a knack for memorable riff lines. Daniel Liljekvist (ex-Katatonia, ex-In Mourning) delivers a grand bashing on the kit and anchors the material with thunderous backline work. A talented crew by any definition.
Grand Cadaver don’t seek to overhaul the Stockholm sound, opting instead to show it the proper respect and introduce just enough of a proprietary veneer to make it sound revitalized. Deities of Deathlike Sleep is a superior outing to Into the Maw of Death with more prevalent hooks that sink a little deeper. It’s the sound of old school Swedish animosity made lovingly by those who hold the style near and dear. Well worth checking out for some sick thrills and added gainz at the gym.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Majestic Mountain
Websites: grandcadaver.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/grandcadaver
Releases Worldwide: August 25th, 2023
